Evolution of the Jaina Theory of Lesya

Summary

Evolution of the Jaina Theory of Lesya" by Suzuko Ohira traces how early Jaina literature described the psychological states and moral qualities of the soul through the concept of lesya – the “colouring” or mental hue that results from karma. The author explains that early canonical texts such as the Ācārāṅga-sūtra and Uttarādhyayana-sūtra refer simply to a good or bad “colour of the soul.” Later sources like the Bhagavatī-sūtra elaborate six distinct lesyas — krṣṇa (black), nīla (blue), kapota (grey), tejo/lohita (yellow‑red), padma (red) and śukla (white). These hues correlate with the soul’s moral purity, with dark colours signifying heavy passions and white colours indicating equanimity and spiritual progress. As the lesya doctrine matured, commentaries and cosmological treatises linked each colour to specific mental states and karmic results. The article reviews how the Uttarādhyayana associates lesya with the gati (state of rebirth); the Jīvabhigama connects lesya to the soul’s descent through the cosmic levels; and the Pañcāstikāya-samgraha interprets the six colours as progressive spiritual stages. Ohira notes that later writers synchronised lesya with the ten “prajñā” (vital capacities), the theory of bondage (bandha) and the ladder of gunasthānas (spiritual development). Illustrations in medieval manuscripts depict lesya as coloured circles around Jina figures, reflecting how the idea permeated devotional art. The author emphasises that lesya originally described the “colour” of mental states but gradually came to serve as a didactic framework for moral instruction and cosmology. By tracing textual references and comparing sectarian interpretations, the article shows that the theory evolved from a simple polarity of good and bad colouring to a sophisticated classification used to explain karma, rebirth and liberation. While Digambara authors sometimes list seven or eight lesyas and assign different colours, the Svetāmbara tradition standardised six, and later commentaries tried to harmonise variant lists. Ohira concludes that the conceptual development of lesya reflects broader shifts in Jaina metaphysics, where psychological categories were systematically linked to cosmological structure and soteriology. The article demonstrates that lesya became a key bridge between ethical behaviour and cosmic consequences, shaping meditative practices and iconography in medieval Jainism.